@bhazard - I'm currently debating the PZ950 or the Samsung D6500, since it doesn't have the troublesome AR coating that's peeling off the 7000s and 8000s. Did you ever take a look at the D6500, and see how it stacks up next to your PZ950? I feel like they're both high on the 'bang for the buck' scale and am waffling back and forth between the two.

Anybody know who makes the better/more comfortable 3D glasses? That might be a good way to decide.

They're both pretty close, but I'd give the edge to the LG. I think the LG has better 3D, THX certification and THX modes, smarttv, and a black filter, where the D6500 doesn't. The PZ950 is the better bang for the buck.

They're both pretty close, but I'd give the edge to the LG. I think the LG has better 3D, THX certification and THX modes, smarttv, and a black filter, where the D6500 doesn't. The PZ950 is the better bang for the buck.

Interesting...thanks for the input. Different day, different answer around here with regards to these tv's.

I really wish a North American site of some repute would hurry up and give us an in-depth review of the PZ950 already. Reliable, objective info is still pretty scarce. It definitely DOES seem like a great TV for the money though.

I'm not sure if this question has been asked yet, sorry if it already has. I got new 60pz950 a fews ago and I can not access majority of tv apps or even sign in. It keeps telling me that " it will be available soon". I live in Canada, is there any turn around to address this inconvenience that anyone knows?

I'm not sure if this question has been asked yet, sorry if it already has. I got new 60pz950 a fews ago and I can not access majority of tv apps or even sign in. It keeps telling me that " it will be available soon". I live in Canada, is there any turn around to address this inconvenience that anyone knows?

You should call up LG and ask if they know when Canada will be getting the apps. You can try setting your region to United States and see if that tricks it.

What I don't like about the apps, is that you cannot use your Picture Settings in them. It defaults to that ugly Vivid profile, and Netflix looks horrid with it.

"The 50PZ950 is capable of a sharp contrasty hi-def image, but you must leap through hoops to get the best from the set. first jump into the picture menu and make sure APS powersave mode is disabled: then turn off Energy saving intelligent sensor.
The final tweak is Dynamic contrast off. if you don't sparkling nose will paper darker scenes"

"A near perfect 20/20 B&W step grayscale was achieved;much of which can be attributed to the set's TrueBlack Filter"

So after 3 different 60pz950's I finally gave up the fight and returned it for a full refund.

Pros;
-The image, clear with beautiful colors (in THX) and excellent blacks. The TV looks fantastic both on and off.
-Magic motion remote, makes navigating menus very quick and easy.
-3D?... did not have a chance to test it.

Break in time 116 hrs. I watched a movie last night (first time with black bars top and bottom) which lasted 1hr and 40mins. After the movie I changed to a full screen HD channel and noticed considerable IR from the bars top and bottom. It took 45mins to fade away.
That was the final straw for my experiences with LG plasmas. You guys can have them.

For those considering an LG xxPZ950 plasma think again or at least make sure you can return your purchase easily.

So after 3 different 60pz950's I finally gave up the fight and returned it for a full refund.

Pros;
-The image, clear with beautiful colors (in THX) and excellent blacks. The TV looks fantastic both on and off.
-Magic motion remote, makes navigating menus very quick and easy.
-3D?... did not have a chance to test it.

Break in time 116 hrs. I watched a movie last night (first time with black bars top and bottom) which lasted 1hr and 40mins. After the movie I changed to a full screen HD channel and noticed considerable IR from the bars top and bottom. It took 45mins to fade away.
That was the final straw for my experiences with LG plasmas. You guys can have them.

For those considering an LG xxPZ950 plasma think again or at least make sure you can return your purchase easily.

So after 3 different 60pz950's I finally gave up the fight and returned it for a full refund.

Pros;
-The image, clear with beautiful colors (in THX) and excellent blacks. The TV looks fantastic both on and off.
-Magic motion remote, makes navigating menus very quick and easy.
-3D?... did not have a chance to test it.

Break in time 116 hrs. I watched a movie last night (first time with black bars top and bottom) which lasted 1hr and 40mins. After the movie I changed to a full screen HD channel and noticed considerable IR from the bars top and bottom. It took 45mins to fade away.
That was the final straw for my experiences with LG plasmas. You guys can have them.

For those considering an LG xxPZ950 plasma think again or at least make sure you can return your purchase easily.

I'm moving on.......
G

I don't really think any of those reasons are worth returning the tv for. On all 3 of those, there were no mention of any defects in the panel. I'm assuming the screens were perfect and defect free? IR is not a defect.

The apps are a joke, but any serious media lover would have 3 or 4 other devices that can do this better on the tv anyway. Same thing with the tv speakers, any serious buyer for a flagship tv would know to have home theater speakers. I never touch SmartTV.

There is some image retention occasionally, but it goes away relatively quickly. You should try to avoid anything with a static image for the first 200 hours, in other words, no black bars.. zoom the image if you have to. Burn in would be an issue, but no one has mentioned getting any of it. I use the tv a lot, and have only seen retention once.

What I'm saying is, you may think the tv isn't good, but the grass might not be greener on the other side. You buy a tv for the picture, which you noted was excellent... and you should know that the other tvs from Panasonic and Samsung have noted picture issues that may bother you even more. Between fluctuating black levels (image goes light then dark again a few times per second), calibration issues, and peeling screens from the competition... LG seems to be having the least amount of problems this year. I would easily deal with crappy tv apps for a better picture and flawless screen.

My old LG was plagued with screen issues, so I'm very happy to have a flawless screen this year.

"The 50PZ950 is capable of a sharp contrasty hi-def image, but you must leap through hoops to get the best from the set. first jump into the picture menu and make sure APS powersave mode is disabled: then turn off Energy saving intelligent sensor.
The final tweak is Dynamic contrast off. if you don't sparkling nose will paper darker scenes"

"A near perfect 20/20 B&W step grayscale was achieved;much of which can be attributed to the set's TrueBlack Filter"

For those considering an LG xxPZ950 plasma think again or at least make sure you can return your purchase easily.

I'm moving on.......
G[/QUOTE]

To each their own. If you had told me 6 months ago that I was going to buy a plasma tv, I'd have thought you were crazy. I have owned LCDs the last 6 yrs and thought (incorrectly) that they were superior. I am pushing 200 hrs on my 60PZ950 and have gamed extensively and watched WAY too much DirecTV HD programming. I have NEVER had a set that matched the colors, the speed or the contrast of the PZ. I have no use for the apps as I have two Windows 7 systems for online use. The speakers of ANY tv are a joke and I used those on the set for less than a day before hooking up the surround sound. I judge this set on picture quality alone and don't think there is ANY set in the price range that can compare. I don't have to think again, I made the right decision and I'm keeping my LG plasma.

Iv not really given this set a proper demo as i spent most of the day wallmounting it and flicking through the menu's etc.

I have however tested a few of my favorite bluray scenes to draw an image quality comparison between this TV and the Panasonic GT30 which i previously owned before sending it packing.

For anyone interested, i can tell you in the small amount if time iv spent with the LG it is the superior TV :-)

Yes, the Panasonic did indeed have deeper blacks and marginally better 3D, but its advantages stop there.

The LG has a better overall image quality, no double imaging during pans or fast movement, no phosphour trailing, less dithering and banding, and completely uniform and stable black levels.

The LG 3D glasses are also superior when it comes to design and comfort.

Panasonic's glasses felt and looked more expensive, but sat too high on the nose, so that the bottom of the lense frames were directly in your line of sight.

They were also a lot heavier which made wearing them for extended periods of time fatiguing and uncomfortable.

The LG's glasses are by comparison light and unobtrusive, and its immeditetly noticable how much more comfortable they are.

I havent given them a long enough demo to speak about the reported sync issues but im already feeling that its a worthy trade off against the Panasonics....Time will tell.

Anyhow with such limited time with the PZ950 these are my initial thoughts, After such a negative experience with the Panasonic GT30 (which has reviewed so well....for reasons i cannot fathom after the problems i had with it) the LG is a breath of fresh air, and a MUCH better TV.

I WANTED to love the Panasonic, i didnt buy it to be unhappy with it or look for problems, but they were so apparent i couldnt help but find myself growing disenchanted with it, especially considering the price premium.

So the LG has a tough task and is under much tighter scrutiny, and yet first impressions are that i LOVE this TV :-)

There is so little information out there on this years flagship LG's so it really was a bit of a gamble to take the plunge....but as it stands im really gla di did!

Most of what useful information can be found on this set exists in this thread, so I'll try to do my bit and contribute by chiming in as i spend more time with it and I'll try my best to answer any questions anybody has.

Iv not really given this set a proper demo as i spent most of the day wallmounting it and flicking through the menu's etc.

I have however tested a few of my favorite bluray scenes to draw an image quality comparison between this TV and the Panasonic GT30 which i previously owned before sending it packing.

For anyone interested, i can tell you in the small amount if time iv spent with the LG it is the superior TV :-)

Yes, the Panasonic did indeed have deeper blacks and marginally better 3D, but its advantages stop there.

The LG has a better overall image quality, no double imaging during pans or fast movement, no phosphour trailing, less dithering and banding, and completely uniform and stable black levels.

The LG 3D glasses are also superior when it comes to design and comfort.

Panasonic's glasses felt and looked more expensive, but sat too high on the nose, so that the bottom of the lense frames were directly in your line of sight.

They were also a lot heavier which made wearing them for extended periods of time fatiguing and uncomfortable.

The LG's glasses are by comparison light and unobtrusive, and its immeditetly noticable how much more comfortable they are.

I havent given them a long enough demo to speak about the reported sync issues but im already feeling that its a worthy trade off against the Panasonics....Time will tell.

Anyhow with such limited time with the PZ950 these are my initial thoughts, After such a negative experience with the Panasonic GT30 (which has reviewed so well....for reasons i cannot fathom after the problems i had with it) the LG is a breath of fresh air, and a MUCH better TV.

I WANTED to love the Panasonic, i didnt buy it to be unhappy with it or look for problems, but they were so apparent i couldnt help but find myself growing disenchanted with it, especially considering the price premium.

So the LG has a tough task and is under much tighter scrutiny, and yet first impressions are that i LOVE this TV :-)

There is so little information out there on this years flagship LG's so it really was a bit of a gamble to take the plunge....but as it stands im really gla di did!

Most of what useful information can be found on this set exists in this thread, so I'll try to do my bit and contribute by chiming in as i spend more time with it and I'll try my best to answer any questions anybody has.

Cheers guys

That's great to hear. This set is very underrated. I absolutely agree that the picture quality is exceptional. There really should be more interest.

I just watched Tangled 3D tonight, and it looked great. I'm surprised how much better the 3D mode is this year compared to last years.

Iv not really given this set a proper demo as i spent most of the day wallmounting it and flicking through the menu's etc.

I have however tested a few of my favorite bluray scenes to draw an image quality comparison between this TV and the Panasonic GT30 which i previously owned before sending it packing.

For anyone interested, i can tell you in the small amount if time iv spent with the LG it is the superior TV :-)

Yes, the Panasonic did indeed have deeper blacks and marginally better 3D, but its advantages stop there.

The LG has a better overall image quality, no double imaging during pans or fast movement, no phosphour trailing, less dithering and banding, and completely uniform and stable black levels.

The LG 3D glasses are also superior when it comes to design and comfort.

Panasonic's glasses felt and looked more expensive, but sat too high on the nose, so that the bottom of the lense frames were directly in your line of sight.

They were also a lot heavier which made wearing them for extended periods of time fatiguing and uncomfortable.

The LG's glasses are by comparison light and unobtrusive, and its immeditetly noticable how much more comfortable they are.

I havent given them a long enough demo to speak about the reported sync issues but im already feeling that its a worthy trade off against the Panasonics....Time will tell.

Anyhow with such limited time with the PZ950 these are my initial thoughts, After such a negative experience with the Panasonic GT30 (which has reviewed so well....for reasons i cannot fathom after the problems i had with it) the LG is a breath of fresh air, and a MUCH better TV.

I WANTED to love the Panasonic, i didnt buy it to be unhappy with it or look for problems, but they were so apparent i couldnt help but find myself growing disenchanted with it, especially considering the price premium.

So the LG has a tough task and is under much tighter scrutiny, and yet first impressions are that i LOVE this TV :-)

There is so little information out there on this years flagship LG's so it really was a bit of a gamble to take the plunge....but as it stands im really gla di did!

Most of what useful information can be found on this set exists in this thread, so I'll try to do my bit and contribute by chiming in as i spend more time with it and I'll try my best to answer any questions anybody has.

Cheers guys

Great first impression review.I have two questions for you.

# Do you see any line bleeding

# Have you had the opportunity to compare the black levels with
the Samsung 7000/8000 D series

I have ONLY seen line bleeding when Iv watched a movie trailer.....you know the green splash screen that says 'This preview has been approved by blah blah blah'

The Panasonic GT30 did it there too though, so its certainly not a weakness from the LG, in real world content i have seen no line bleeding whatsoever and so shouldn't be a cause for concern.

I can't speak for the Samsung models, i haven't seen them at all to compare.

I had the GT30 for a month before i sent it back, so my comparisons are based on real time spent with that unit.

Considering the high praise the 2011 Panasonic's have received from critics vs the complete lack of attention for the LG, we should eventually start hearing some great things.

LG's 'weakness' (i use that term lightly) seems to be its black levels, but from what iv seen so far, its not that the levels are poor, its just that Panasonic's are EXCEPTIONALLY black, therefore the LG is only weak when compared side by side.

Sat on its own I think most people will be happy with its Black level considering its other strengths as a TV.

The only niggle i can spot with the PZ950 is its sensitivity to Image Retention, but as others have already stated on this forum it does fade quickly.

I'm going to keep the settings down for the first 200hrs as recommended and hope that it ends up being less prone to it thereafter.

But I'll continue to answer questions for as long as people are interested.

I have ONLY seen line bleeding when Iv watched a movie trailer.....you know the green splash screen that says 'This preview has been approved by blah blah blah'

The Panasonic GT30 did it there too though, so its certainly not a weakness from the LG, in real world content i have seen no line bleeding whatsoever and so shouldn't be a cause for concern.

I can't speak for the Samsung models, i haven't seen them at all to compare.

I had the GT30 for a month before i sent it back, so my comparisons are based on real time spent with that unit.

Considering the high praise the 2011 Panasonic's have received from critics vs the complete lack of attention for the LG, we should eventually start hearing some great things.

LG's 'weakness' (i use that term lightly) seems to be its black levels, but from what iv seen so far, its not that the levels are poor, its just that Panasonic's are EXCEPTIONALLY black, therefore the LG is only weak when compared side by side.

Sat on its own I think most people will be happy with its Black level considering its other strengths as a TV.

The only niggle i can spot with the PZ950 is its sensitivity to Image Retention, but as others have already stated on this forum it does fade quickly.

I'm going to keep the settings down for the first 200hrs as recommended and hope that it ends up being less prone to it thereafter.

But I'll continue to answer questions for as long as people are interested.

Thank you very much!!!

I currently own a Samsung PS63C7000(UK) but i'm getting a refund because of the blinking issue.The D series are plagued with issues, Black Filter peeling,fluctuating brightness........

If the black level is simular to the samsung C series i'll be very happy
I'm definitely going to buy the LG 60PZ950

Just got my 50PZ950 as a replacement for a PX950 that suffered from very noticeable dirty screen effect, bad line bleed, and IR. I must say that the PZ950 is far superior, no DSE, have yet to notice any line bleed, and very little IR. Overall a vast improvement over the PX950. This is after only 10 or 12 hours of use :-)

No it doesn't, I'm going my own route with a couple of 80mm computer cooling fans and a 95 deg F thermoswitch that I'm in the process of velcro mounting on the top grates to improve cooling and hopefully extend the panel life. Going to have less than 40 bucks in the setup and it should make a huge difference in airflow.

Just got my 50PZ950 as a replacement for a PX950 that suffered from very noticeable dirty screen effect, bad line bleed, and IR. I must say that the PZ950 is far superior, no DSE, have yet to notice any line bleed, and very little IR. Overall a vast improvement over the PX950. This is after only 10 or 12 hours of use :-)

For anyone interested, i can tell you in the small amount if time iv spent with the LG it is the superior TV :-)

Interesting! Your experience with the GT30 pretty much matches mine with the (European) ST30. I'm starting to look towards the PZ950. Please come back with additional thoughts when you've used it for a couple of days.

One very nice feature I found out today it supports upnp media server! That's very nice for people who have routers with upnp storage server feature.

Now I can leave the pc off, and the tv can still stream 1080p movies from my USB HD that's coonected to my cisco e3000 router!

The only imperfection so far is the 3d glasses. They turn off automatically every 10 mins no matter how I move my head purposely. Anyone had a solution to keep them turn on?? It'll be frustration trying to press the power button every 10 minutes.

I hate to do this and understand if no one responds. Looking at the 60pz950 vs the 55lw5600. Yes I know the active passive debate, pz glasses losing sync, motion blur on LED (LCD) vs Plasma. But other than the extreme obvious can anyone give me some good pro's and con's?

Returning mine. Never got the Film Mode to work and LG's customer support was completely unhelpful and insisted that it was "supposed to look that way." Trust me when I say I know what film motion is supposed to look like, and no theatrical film or digital projection I've ever seen has hitched about like this TV plays. I'm too busy to take time off of work to schedule service appointments I run the risk of being charged for because "nothing is wrong."

Maybe I'll try again when LG makes a TV that works. So disappointed and frustrated. Was really looking forward to watching my Blu-rays on a TV that could do them justice.

I've spent a few days with the PZ950 and here are my thoughts in comparison to the Panasonic 50GT30, which I had for a month before I took it back for a refund.

These comparisons are based on my own experience, after real time spent with both units.

I'll try my best to address most of the commonly asked questions people have been asking in regard to their concerns with buying this unit.

First off Line Bleeding

I have ONLY seen line bleeding when Iv watched a few movie trailers.....you know the green splash screen that says 'This preview has been approved by blah blah blah'

The Panasonic 50GT30 also demonstrated Line Bleeding here too, so its certainly not a weakness exclusive to the LG, All real world content I have seen has shown NO line bleeding whatsoever and so it shouldn't be any cause for concern for any potential buyer. Case Closed :-)

LG's 'weakness' (I use that term lightly) does seems to be its black levels, but from what iv seen so far, its not that the levels are that poor, its just that Panasonic's are EXCEPTIONALLY black, therefore the LG is only weak when compared side by side.

In my experience, there is a trade off here, The Panasonic suffered with fluctuating brightness which was distracting and far more bothersome (although there is now talk of a firmware fix for this), and mine also had a large green splodge running down the centre of the screen, which although subtle still managed to taint whites and greys.

However the LG is totally uniform and totally stable and therefore a lot more pleasing to my eye as I can just sit and loose myself in a movie.

Sat on its own I think most people will be happy with LG's Black level considering its other strengths as a TV over the likes of the GT30

For example the LG does not suffer with Panasonics 50hz issue on UK TV broadcasts and PAL DVD's, it has less dithering noise with smoother transitions between colours whilst also having a more detailed and stable picture.

When watching Transformers on Blu-Ray I swear I can see more intricate detail on the robots than I had EVER seen before. It really is a joy to watch :-)

The picture on my GT30 suffered with slight double imaging and minor phosphor trailing on horizontal pans, the LG does not exhibit this at all.

The only niggle I can spot with the PZ950 is its sensitivity to Image Retention, but it does fade VERY quickly...a lot quicker than the on GT30 (although to be fair the Panasonic seemed to resist IR a lot better in the first place)

3D on both sets is very very good, with Panasonic having a slight edge in night-time conditions as the LG suffers a little more with crosstalk (although we are talking about such a small amount its barely worth mentioning) But on the flipside the LG seems to have a greater sense of depth.

With the Panasonic, watching 3D in daytime conditions was a pointless exercise as the flicker caused by the glasses shutting out external light became uncomfortable. The LG's 3D during daytime viewing, although not at its best, is MILES better, as there is far less 'strobing' seen through the glasses and a greater light output emitted from the screen.

I think this is where LG has really succeeded, with its glasses.

The Panasonic glasses look and feel more expensive, and come with a nice protective storage case, however in my opinion their overall design is flawed as they sit too high on the bridge of the nose and as a result of having such narrow lenses, the bottom of the lens frame sat just enough in your field of view to be distracting.

I also found their glasses to be heavier and increasingly uncomfortable over time.

The LG's glasses are a LOT lighter, have a better frame/lens design and as a result it’s easy to forget you are even wearing them, making watching 3D content more immersive.

I have read that the LG glasses loose sync after 10 mins if you don’t move your head, I haven’t experienced this myself, and it could prove to be an annoyance, but once again when talking about trade offs, I think I may prefer this option against the Panasonics.

If you like to dabble with menus and settings the LG has lots to offer with lots of settings and calibration controls.

The Panasonics menu's are cleaner and easier to navigate but less in-depth, with less calibration options.

In my personal opinion, after having numerous image related issues with the Panasonic I truly couldn’t be happier with the LG and I recommend it to anyone who is looking for an alternative to the highly rated GT30.

There are a few compromises along the way i.e. Black Levels and MINOR amounts of crosstalk in 3D, but all in all the LG PZ950 wins out where it matters.....OVERALL IMAGE QUALITY :-)

A matter of note regarding problems with 1080/24 playback.

I unfortunately have to confirm there are issues here...but on BOTH units.